Ceko: Built by Students for Students
Jon Swanson, a senior in agricultural business, spent his summer developing Ceko, a fitness app designed for university students. The app allows students to track their diet, weight, exercise and sleep while connecting with other users through gym communities and friendly competition. Through artificial intelligence, Ceko helps tailor experiences to individual users.
Ceko was created specifically for college students. Swanson created Ceko initially for Iowa State University students. When registering, students select their gym, either State Gym or Lied Recreation Athletic Center. Users can then create connections, build relationships, and compete with other students from the opposing gym or community.
“I wanted to create a place where friends can encourage each other, and you can easily make gym partners,” Swanson said.
After spending the spring in Australia, Swanson returned to Iowa State and spent the summer developing Ceko to fill what he saw as a communication gap within the gym environment. The app allows users to interact with people within their network and celebrate each other’s progress. When someone checks into the gym, reaches a personal record or achieves a goal, other members of their network can acknowledge their accomplishment.
The competitive aspect of Ceko is designed to help students stay motivated throughout their fitness journeys. Swanson said even students who are disciplined about fitness can sometimes need encouragement to stay consistent.
“People need a nudge in fitness sometimes. Even if you’re really disciplined, it can be really hard to go to the gym some days, ” Swanson said.
From creating the app’s objectives and developing the platform to submitting it to Google Play and the App Store, Swanson gained experience throughout the process. The challenges he encountered during development gave him opportunities to make improvements as he continued building Ceko.
Swanson hopes Ceko will continue to grow and expand while helping Iowa State students connect with one another and stay motivated.
Ultimately, Swanson wants Ceko to create a supportive and competitive atmosphere that encourages students to stay consistent with their goals and maintain healthy habits.
“I want this to push people to be more consistent in their goals and go to the gym to be healthy,” Swanson said.
If you’re interested in Ceko Download the App HERE
Looking for more information? Visit Instagram